Iran beats Mali in last World Cup warm-up before heading to Tijuana

ANTALYA: Iran will head off to their World Cup base this weekend with a spring in their step after beating Mali 2-0 in a friendly in Turkey on Thursday, even if some uncertainty still clouds their participation in the tournament.

Goals from midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi and right back Ramin Rezaeian either side of halftime gave Team Melli a record of three wins and a single loss in their four friendlies this year in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.

The friendlies are the only competitive football the Iran-based players have played since the domestic league was suspended in the wake of US and Israel air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February that triggered a regional war.

The squad have received visas for Mexico, officials confirmed this week, and will leave Turkey on Saturday for their tournament base in the border city of Tijuana.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to host the squad after being told that the US authorities did not want Iran staying in their original base in Arizona throughout the June 11 to July 19 tournament.

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The squad have not yet received the visas they will need to get into the US to play their group games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle, however.

Iranian FA (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj told Iranian media this week that the US visas were the main concern for the federation as Iran’s tournament opener against New Zealand on June 15 approaches.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday there was “no problem” with the Iran squad entering the country, but Washington would not let officials or staff with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accompany them.

Both the US and Canada, who are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a “terrorist entity.” Taj was refused entry into Canada for the FIFA Congress in late April because of his links to the elite military force.